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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29188176">If I Knew Then, It Wouldn't Change a Thing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JehBeeEh/pseuds/JehBeeEh'>JehBeeEh</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I am under-prepared, but I am willing [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Married Life, Parent Steve Rogers, Parent Tony Stark, Parent-Child Relationship, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Relationship Advice</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 14:08:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,111</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29188176</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JehBeeEh/pseuds/JehBeeEh</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter needs advice from his dads. It goes about as well as anything involving Steve and Tony Stark-Rogers ever goes, in the best of ways.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Parker &amp; Steve Rogers &amp; Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I am under-prepared, but I am willing [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2136618</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>195</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>If I Knew Then, It Wouldn't Change a Thing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>We've made it a week!! YAY!!!</p><p>Thanks for sticking around if you did (or coming back after needing a dose of non-fluff, totally valid too ;) ).</p><p>This one holds a special place in my heart for many reasons. I hope you enjoy it &lt;3<br/>Extra special thanks and kudos to Moody, Elwenyere, and Flame. I truly cannot thank you enough!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Dad? Pops?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Peter?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve popped his head out of the kitchen to find his son in the entrance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi Pops,” Peter answered, stuck in place. “Is Dad home?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, he’s on a business trip. Everything okay? I thought you’d be here later this week.” Steve gestured towards the kitchen. “You’re just in time for dinner. Hungry?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter nodded and followed him, still unusually quiet. If Steve had learned anything from his husband and son over the years though, it was to give his boys space when they were this quiet. Both were talkative and their mouths ran just about as fast as their brains did, so when the opposite was true it was because they needed to work things out before they spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve took out an extra bowl and cut a few more pieces of bread. Peter settled next to him at the counter after grabbing himself a placemat and a spoon. He remained quiet as Steve served him a bowl of chili and as they started eating. Steve tried not to let his mind wander too far on what could have made his son show up at their home three days earlier than they’d expected him for spring break. Thankfully, before he could worry too much, Peter turned to him and started asking questions. Ones Steve hadn’t been expecting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How old were you when you proposed to Dad?” he asked Steve slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm,” Steve thought. “23? 24? No, 23.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter nodded. “Do you regret it sometimes? Proposing when you were pretty young like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve put down his spoon and turned to face Peter. “That’s a loaded question, kiddo,” he chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t ask-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t say that,” Steve interrupted quickly. “I don’t mind you asking or giving you an answer. How about we grab a beer and go sit on the couch, yeah? It’ll be comfier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter agreed and helped Steve quickly clean up the kitchen before they made their way to the living room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever you tell me, by the way, I won’t tell Dad,” Peter told Steve as they sat down. Steve erupted into laughter at the statement. “Why is that so funny?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your dad and I have talked about this. Nothing I’m going to tell you is a secret Peter.” His son seemed surprised and Steve just shrugged. “Our relationship was never perfect, still isn't, and it took lots of work at times. We had some rough years for a number of reasons, and some of this stuff came up in therapy - we’ve always been honest with you about us needing to do that - and other things came out for other reasons… But yeah, your dad knows how I feel, don’t worry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do I regret proposing? Not for a second. Do I think we were too young? Not necessarily. I’d known your dad for so long by that point, we’d dated for a long time, and were friends before that. Would I do things differently? Probably, but everyone would change some things if they could, right?” Steve took a long sip of his beer as Peter asked him the simplest of questions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you propose when you did?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you know how you and Dad always make fun of me cause I’m super organized, and always have plans and contingencies and all that?” Peter hid a smirk behind his own sip of his bottle. “Yeah, exactly. Well, this one was actually your dad’s ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>plan’</span>
  </em>
  <span>, so to speak. Howard had put it in his head that there was a certain way things should go to be successful, and for some reason it stuck in his head. He thought he had to be married by the time he was 25, and had to have kids by the time he was 30, and his business needed to have reached certain goals by certain arbitrary deadlines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your dad believed those words from Howard to his core,” Steve added with a shrug, to this day still not sure why Howard’s words had had such an impact on Tony. “I knew I couldn’t help with any of the business stuff - thank all the gods that he has Aunt Pepper for that. But, I could do something about at least the first one. I mean it Peter, I don’t for one minute regret proposing to your dad. I have no doubt we would have gotten married regardless of that timeline he was so focused on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why does it feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cause I do wish we’d waited just a few years. At least to get married. Not necessarily the engagement part, but the wedding and marriage part, yes. Your grandparents passed away and our life was chaos for a long time. I thought proposing and following that timeline would help, but we were trying to plan this whole wedding on top of everything else... It was a lot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Plus, we’d lived apart for a long while when we dated ‘cause of school and jobs. At one point, I was living with Uncle Bucky in Boston while your dad lived here and traveled to California all the time. We’d see each other on weekends if we were lucky. I wish we’d had a few years of just us. Doing all the boring domestic stuff. Learning to live together, you know? It doesn’t really make sense, and marriage doesn’t really change much, but it kinda does too. We didn’t really get to enjoy being newlyweds as much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And then I happened,” Peter added with an apologetic tone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve smiled more broadly than before at the thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And then you happened,” he replied fondly, making Peter look away. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just like his dad</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Steve thought affectionately. Neither of them liked being fussed over, and Steve went out of his way to remind them how loved they were, how special, how much he loved them. Neither had gotten used to it. “You threw us for a loop, sure. Your dad still has regrets over how we found out you existed, let alone how you came into our life. But neither of us ever regretted </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. We’ve told you that so many times, and we weren’t kidding. We both wish your mom had told Tony about you way sooner - I don’t blame her though, I get it in a way, at least for the first few years. I wish I’d gotten to meet her. We would have loved being in your life from the beginning. Adopting you after she died was a no brainer for me. And yes, it happened to fit perfectly in Dad’s ‘kids before 30’ plan, but that’s not why we did it. I will repeat it as many times as you need to hear it, Pete. We both love you so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, Pops. I love you, too.” Peter reached over to hug him, and Steve smiled as he held him a bit longer than usual. He did feel lucky that Peter somehow - most of the time - didn’t feel completely embarrassed by his parents and still hugged them as often as he did. “So, you’d still have proposed to Dad when you were my age, even if you wish you’d waited a bit?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I think I would have. Like I said, I know we were going to get married. I had moments of wondering if I’d missed out on </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you know? We’ve told you before, your dad and I had very different growing up and dating experiences. You always wonder about things you didn’t experience, and ask yourself if you’re missing out. I never felt like I missed out because I’ve only been with your Dad though. I do wish we’d travelled a bit more when we were younger. I wish we’d gotten our heads out of our asses and gone to therapy right after your grandparents died. But I never regretted your Dad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s nice to hear,” Peter added quietly as he picked at the label on his bottle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m guessing there’s a reason you’re asking me all these questions? Are you and Michelle having trouble or something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No! I- no. Nothing like that. I- I wanted to ask her to marry me, actually.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? Peter, that’s amazing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Peter answered with that wistful smile he always got when he started talking about Michelle. “We’ve talked about it and neither of us are in a rush really, but it just feels so </span>
  <em>
    <span>right</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Even if we wait years to get married, I’m fine with that, but I just- it feels like the right time to ask.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Steve’s turn to pull Peter into a hug. He had never wanted anything more than for his son to be happy. From the moment he’d met Michelle, it had been apparent she was a part of Peter’s happiness, and Steve and Tony had often talked about how they both adored her, and loved how happy Peter was. Steve was overjoyed, even if it was another step towards his son not being a kid anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to do it soon? Did you get a ring yet?” Steve asked as he let Peter go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter laughed at Steve’s obvious excitement. “No ring yet. I, um, might need help with that. And yeah, I’d like to do it soon. It’s why I came home a bit earlier. I don’t know what to do. Part of me keeps thinking of these crazy, big, elaborate things, and another part of me wants to just bring her somewhere small and quiet. Do I do it in front of all our family, or just the two of us?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, slow down there. I’ll go ring shopping with you if you want, Aunt Nat and Aunt Pepper might be really good at this too, if you want to share with the family before you do it. As for how to do it… just go with your gut. The only two people that matter on that front are you and Michelle. Doesn’t matter if other people think you need a flash mob on the Brooklyn bridge. If something small and intimate makes more sense to you, do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter’s brow lowered questioningly. “How did </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> do it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, our proposal was… kind of a mess!” Steve chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you talking about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your Dad threw a fit at me a couple of days before I proposed,” Steve recalled with a smile that confused Peter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He did </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah! I’d decided the week before that I was doing it. I went out with Uncle Bucky and picked out a ring. No one else knew about this. The night after I bought it, I don’t know why exactly, your Dad just lost it on me. Completely out of the blue. It was really bizarre actually.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’d just had dinner or something and all of a sudden he starts saying that he feels bad because nothing I was ever going to do for a proposal would be enough. I froze. I thought he’d found out I bought a ring, but when I asked why he said that he just said he knew he had unrealistic expectations and nothing would ever feel enough and he just went on and on about how horrible he was and how I should dump him, basically.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter just nodded, having heard stories from both his parents before about Tony’s issues with never feeling like he was good enough, thanks to his grandparents and some of the board members at SI.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The whole time,” Steve continued, “I’m sitting there thinking ‘stop it, I’m proposing this week! This is happening!’. Managed to talk him down and found out he’d just had a really shitty day at work and his brain just filled in all those lies because of how he’d been treated that day. He apologized the next day, and later that afternoon I picked up his ring.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not bad though, just a weird coincidence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“True. The day I-” Steve was interrupted when his phone rang. He smiled at Peter as he answered the video call. “We were just talking about you,” he said in answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We? I knew you had secret </span>
  <em>
    <span>rendez-vous</span>
  </em>
  <span> while I went on business trips. Is he hot at least?” Tony answered with a sexy edge to his voice, which made Peter laugh and exclaim that was gross. “He sounds younger than me. Is that how it is, Steven?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know exactly who that was. Hold on, I’ll do the thing where it goes on the TV-” Steve answered distractedly as he started punching the screen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, gimme that,” Peter groaned as he stole the phone away from Steve. “Hi Dad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh good, it’s just you. My husband isn’t cheating on me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Just me</span>
  </em>
  <span>, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter got the video feed on their television and Tony smiled broadly as he got to see both of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I miss you guys,” he answered softly, sitting back against the headboard in his hotel room. “Why are you home already, Pete? Thought for sure I’d get home before you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just wanted to talk to Pops about something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it about my birthday present?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, Pete? I take it back. I do regret proposing to him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Proposing? Wait, you’re asking your pops about </span>
  <em>
    <span>proposing</span>
  </em>
  <span>? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Steve-</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I should have called you. ‘M sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pops was just about to tell me about the day he proposed actually.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony winced. “Oh lord. Did you tell him about the meltdown?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I did! It’s part of our story.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate that part of our story.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I hate that you leave your dirty socks everywhere. Win some, lose some, babe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this part of the ‘wish you’d lived together longer’ thing?” Peter asked Steve.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You love me anyways,” Tony retorted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I very much do, yes.” Steve smiled back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter rolled his eyes, laughing at their usual antics. "Stop making googly eyes at each other, what happened?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your old man choked, is what happened," Tony teased, to Steve's protest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I did not! I just forgot everything I was going to say."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You. Forgot?" Peter replied slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve nodded slowly, taking a quick sip of beer. "Yup. Every single word. I went to get Dad at work, he had a meeting across town that day-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You were acting so weird in the car too. Asking me really bizarre questions and tapping your fingers on the steering wheel and just not making any eye contact. I was convinced you were dumping me after the shit show a few days before."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I had the ring in my pocket and I was just nervous I'd say something if I looked at you. I was scared you were going to say no and I was driving. Anyways, we got back to our apartment at the time and I thought I was going to wait until we sat down, have dinner and then do it. But-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He walked in, barely gave me space to step foot in the place. He dropped to one knee and opened the box."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That was your proposal? Did you say anything?" Peter looked mortified for them, but Steve's eyes were glued on the screen where Tony was, and they were both smiling fondly at the memory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think I mumbled ‘marry me’? I told my brain to do it, but whether it happened, who knows."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was too stunned to hear anything. I for sure thought you were leaving me after the stunt I pulled. Fuck, that was a jerk move. I just remember seeing the ring and thinking it was a joke. Then telling you you didn't have to pity propose, and apologizing for the meltdown." Tony said, with a small smile that Steve recognized as the way his face moved whenever they got to this part of the story.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's when my brain kicked back in. I told you I had planned to propose and the ring was bought before the meltdown. You started crying and you collapsed on the floor with me. You took my face in your hands and asked if it was real and I started crying. I told you I loved you more than anything."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That was such a messy, gross kiss with both of us crying like idiots. Wouldn't change it for the world."Tony’s smile shifted to the warm one that was reserved for just Steve and Peter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Same. After that I put the ring on your finger. You kissed me again, and I asked you if it was a yes. And you asked if I had actually asked a question."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's when you asked me to marry you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And you said yes." Steve felt a tear roll down his cheek and he wished Tony was home so he could kiss him. He turned to Peter, who had his usual look of bewilderment when he saw how crazy in love his parents were. Steve shrugged slightly at his son. "Even the best laid plans don't always work out. I wouldn't change our proposal for anything."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Neither would I," Tony chimed in. "I mean, it’s just as chaotic as we are. And, I knew how much Pops loved me- even if I thought he was going to break up with me, I didn’t doubt he loved me. No crazy love declaration would have changed that."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Michelle knows you love her. Do what feels right," Steve reinforced.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter's phone rang and he excused himself to go take the call in his old room, leaving his dads alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That was a fun little trip down memory lane," Steve chuckled as he switched back the video feed to his phone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah," Tony sighed. "I can't believe he's at that stage of life already. Our baby's growing up."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't think we can call him that anymore" Steve laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not to his face, no." Tony paused for a breath and Steve knew what was coming before the question left his lips. "Do you regret it? Any of it?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Pete asked me the same thing before you called. And I have told you and will keep telling you. I regret nothing, Tony. I'd marry you all over again tomorrow. I love our life, babe. I am stupidly happy with you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm stupidly happy with you too, darling.” Tony frowned and let out a groan that told Steve he had another call coming in that he couldn’t ignore. “I'll call you tomorrow when I leave? Should be home by lunch if all goes well."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can't wait. Love you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you too,” Tony blew him a kiss before hanging up, leaving Steve with memories of wedding rings and one of the best days of his life so far.</span>
</p>
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